Through the first 10 games of the 2024-25 OUA regular season, the Gaels have recorded an impressive eight wins and only two losses, defeating divisional rivals such as the Western Mustangs and Laurier Golden Hawks during this stretch.
Prior to the advent of this season, there was considerable concern over the Gaels’ ability to continue along their upward trajectory competing for an OUA title. This was largely due to the departure of four of the five players from their primary powerplay line, who either moved on to play professionally or exhausted their U SPORTS eligibility.
I’ll it, I was one of the concerned Gaels’ fans. However, not only have the Gaels avoided taking a step back, but they’ve seemingly taken significant strides forward as a program. With that in mind, I thought it would be useful to highlight the key contributors to their success so far and what needs to continue going right for the team to finish atop the OUA standings.
Leading the charge offensively, Nolan Hutcheson, ArtSci ’25, has been a dominant force for the Gaels. He has already recorded seven goals and two assists in just 10 games, playing a crucial role in several victories. Notably, Hutcheson has scored two overtime game-winners this season—once against the Mustangs on Nov. 1 and another in the home opener against the Concordia Stingers on Oct. 4.
Perhaps more surprising, first-year Ethan Larmand, ArtSci ’28, is tied for the second most points in the league, recording five goals and five assists through 10 games played.
After a strong season with the Greater Sudbury Cubs of the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League, where he scored 25 points in 18 games, Larmand has quickly found his footing at the post-secondary level.
With the departure of Queen’s points leader and offensive powerhouse Dalton Duhart, who left the program to pursue a professional hockey career playing for the Bloomington Bison of the ECHL, the Gaels were in dire need of a reliable offensive player. Between Larmand and Hutcheson, it seems Queen’s may have found their guys.
Every team with championship aspirations needs a dependable goaltender capable of stealing games, and the Gaels appear to have a rare surplus in the net. Both Aidan Spooner, Comm ’27, and Christian Purboo, ArtSci ’25, have delivered strong performances this season, alleviating any potential concerns about consistency in goal.
While the split between Spooner and Purboo hasn’t been even, both goaltenders have contributed significantly. Purboo has secured six wins, while Spooner notched two.
Spooner has the edge in the goals-against-average (GAA), posting an impressive 1.68 GAA, 0.28 lower than Purboo’s, however, Purboo has a higher save percentage (SV%) recording an impressive .938 SV% through seven games played.
Goaltending and goal-scoring are two of the most critical components for any successful hockey team. If the Gaels can continue producing offensively and shutting down opposing teams’ scoring opportunities, they have every reason to be confident in their ability to build on their strong start and make a deep OUA playoff run.
The Gaels’ next game is on Nov. 8 at the Memorial Centre, where they’ll face off against the Carleton Ravens. With the Ravens sitting at 2-7, the Gaels will look to extend their hot streak and continue their dominant season.
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